Bath Rugby have successfully poached Leinster's attack coach

Bath Rugby have confirmed that boost to its coaching structure with the appointment of Girvan Dempsey from Leinster.

Dempsey joins as Attack Coach and will head to the West Country ahead of the 2018/19 season.

The former Irish international has played a key role in Leo Cullen’s coaching team at Leinster for the past three years as Attack Coach. During his tenure the 42-year-old has worked alongside the likes of Stuart Lancaster, Joe Schmidt and Michael Cheika.

In his current role, Dempsey has been influential in driving the formidable attack, which saw Leinster crowned European Champions with a victory over Racing 92 this weekend. Prior to that Dempsey spent two seasons as Elite Player Development Officer for the province, and a further three years as Academy Manager learning his craft and developing playing talent in the province.

Continue reading below…

Dempsey brings a tremendous amount of experience to Bath, not only from his coaching career but also his playing career that saw him capped 82 times by Ireland, which included him playing in three Triple Crown winning teams. He has also enjoyed both Heineken Cup and Celtic League success as a player with Leinster.

Girvan’s appointment is part of Bath Rugby’s long-term plan for developing the right support structures to deliver successful and consistent performances in both domestic and European rugby.

Girvan will join Todd Blackadder’s current coaching set up at Bath Rugby, which includes Stuart Hooper, Toby Booth and Darren Edwards.

Todd Blackadder said: “This season we’ve learnt a lot about ourselves. We need to be more flexible in our game so that we can better tailor our attack to different opposition.

“Girvan is a fantastic addition to our team and I believe together we can go on to great things, not only next season but for years to come.”

Continue reading below…

Commenting on his appointment, Girvan Dempsey said: “I’m really looking forward to starting a new chapter in my coaching career. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Leinster, but I’m excited about what lies ahead with Bath.

“They have a world-class setup and playing squad. I will be looking to bring my experiences and knowledge to support Todd and the coaching team in delivering success to this great Club.”

Chief Executive, Tarquin McDonald added: “Girvan has been integral to the success of Leinster over the last few years, and we’re delighted to bring someone of his calibre to the Club. He is a scholar of the game, he has fantastic attacking pedigree, and he has excellent skills as a coaching practitioner. He will contribute enormously to the balance of our coaching team and to the development of our game for 2018/19.”